(217) 546-3333Good Oral Health – Important to a Healthy Body
August 5, 2013
The Human body is a combination of healthy and functional organs and systems. The Oral cavity plays the role of an entry gate for the body. Everything we eat or drink goes right through the mouth and affects all other organs and systems. Maintenance of the oral environment is essential for overall health of an individual.
Good, meticulous oral hygiene is necessary for maintaining your overall health. Neglected oral hygiene can lead to many systemic diseases. Poor oral health has been linked to heart, lung and stomach diseases, diabetes, stroke and premature birth. You should consult your dentist for ways to improve your oral health and in-turn your overall health and well-being.
Preventive dentistry focuses on solving minor oral health problems before they become issues. This approach saves a lot of time and money but requires compliance on behalf of the patient. Your early visit to Dr. VanderMolen can prevent you from undergoing major treatment procedures in the future. For maintaining a good oral hygiene, we advise you to do the following regularly.
- Brush your teeth regularly 2-3 times a day
- Use a fluoride tooth paste
- Floss daily, or even better, after every meal
- Avoid intake of too much synthetic sugars
- Consume foods high in calcium and vitamins
- Eat a balanced healthy diet including Milk
- Avoid smoking and tobacco chewing
- Make regular appointments for routine oral check-ups
By exercising these suggestions, you can easily maintain good oral hygiene and prevent you and your family from a large number of oral as well as systemic diseases. Routine dental checkups can unveil many minor problems which can be treated easily in early stages and major diseases can be prevented. When you visit Dr. VanderMolen for a routine dental checkup, he will thoroughly examine and clean your mouth. Small dental problems will be taken care of for your overall well-being. Future preventive strategy can also discussed regarding your oral health.
If it is time for a dental checkup for you and your family, make an appointment by calling Dr. VanderMolen and Advanced Dental Care today at (217) 546-3333. Click here for more information on the general dentistry services available at Advanced Dental Care.
Oral Care for Teens: What Parents Need to Know
June 17, 2013
We all have that desire to show off a lovely smile, but what we do not want are stained teeth, bad breath, decaying teeth, tooth loss or gum disease, whether as a teenager or an adult. All of these can be prevented at just about any age through the use of Preventative Dentistry procedures.
However, the teenage years are often the time when teeth are neglected the most. A busy teenager has a social life to enjoy, examinations to take and a future to think about. With little time to free up while experiencing the excitement of growing up, dental visits and serious oral health care sometimes become less of a priority.
Failing to implement good dental care practices while in the teenage years can be very bad for future oral and dental health. In the long run, this could destroy a smile and break the teenager’s long term confidence, especially in social situations.
Points of importance for a teen’s dental care
- We recommend that your teen brushes and flosses his or her teeth at least two times a day. If they want to maintain a better smile, a brush following each meal will add that freshness to the face.
- Teenage diets should be packed with nutrients that will build up and maintain the health of permanent teeth. This means only consuming moderate amounts of starchy or sweet food to avoid the development of any dental cavities and other gum problems.
- Hormonal changes throughout puberty can contribute to the development of minor periodontal disease by increasing the blood flow circulating around the gums. This leads to a rise in sensitivity in the gums which, when irritated by food or liquids, become inflamed, feel painful to touch and sometimes turn a red color.
- Smoking, which is often started in the teen years, causes stained teeth, loss of teeth, gum disease, bad breath and mouth cancer. If smoking and drinking take place together, this can elevate the chance of mouth cancer development.
- The greatest number of dental accidents and the resultant injuries take place between 13 and 17 years age, while playing sports. In some sports such as basketball and baseball a mouth guard should be used to protect the teeth from accidental injury.
- Visiting the dentist should be promoted and monitored by parents, who should also emphasize dental health when bringing up teens by ensuring that dental checkups are regular and their teeth are assessed for periodontal disease.
- There are many ways that your dentist can help your teenage son or daughter to improve their self image by offering teeth shaping cosmetic procedures. Click here for more information on these services.
Personal image and what other people think about us are far more important in teenage years than in any other part of our lives. Different types of cosmetic dentistry options are available for teens who would like to enhance their appearance and personal image and they are not always too complicated or expensive.
If you would like advice on how you could help your teenage child’s oral hygiene, do not hesitate, call Advanced Dental Care at (217) 546-3333 today, to make an appointment. We would love to see you at our office.
The High Costs of Neglecting Your Teeth
May 27, 2013
It’s true; many Americans are neglecting their teeth. With limited dental coverage provided by insurance companies, many visit the dentist only when a serious problem arises. However, skipping your regularly scheduled dental check-ups can result in long-term costs to your health and your bank account. Preventative Dentistry is essential to a healthy mouth and body.
If you are waiting until you are in pain to visit the dentist, you are waiting too long. A small cavity may not cause pain until it has reached the root of the tooth. A relatively cheap and quick procedure to fill a cavity can prevent the need for a root canal, removal or implant which can cost thousands of dollars per tooth. During your regular dental visits, you will also be screened for signs of oral cancer. A recent study found that oral cancer is now the most expensive type of cancer to treat, with the average annual costs at almost $80,000 per year. The problem with most oral cancers is that they are uncovered so late in the disease that treatment is extremely difficult; early detection is the key to combating the treatment costs.
It is a fact that good oral hygiene is essential to overall health. Poor dental care can lead to all sorts of other health issues, including the number one killer in America: Cardiovascular disease. Oral bacteria build up when teeth are neglected and have been linked to clogged arteries and stroke. Another type of heart disease, endocarditis, has also been linked to bad dental hygiene. Heart disease alone costs over 300 billion dollars in health costs each year in the U.S.
In addition to visiting Dr. VanderMolen regularly for cleaning and check-ups, there are steps you can take on a daily basis to increase your oral health; regular brushing and flossing, a healthy diet low in sugar and avoidance of tobacco products.
It’s never too late to take control of your oral care. Contact Advanced Dental Care of Springfield today at (217) 546 – 3333, and set up an appointment. Dr. VanderMolen can provide you with a custom assessment analyze your risk factors and get you back on track to better health.
Missing Teeth, Missing Nutrition
May 14, 2013
A normal, healthy adult mouth has a complete set of 32 teeth. Each type of tooth has its own great role to play in the health and nutrition of an individual. If teeth are missing congenitally or due to any other reason like dental decay or trauma, the overall health can be influenced detrimentally without the proper preventative care.
Good Nutrition & Good Dental Health go Hand-in-Hand
Our teeth break down the food that we eat into smaller pieces that are easy to digest. If we have missing teeth, our food may not be chewed adequately which can lead to digestion issues. The nutrients within the food cannot be extracted completely if it undergoes incomplete or improper digestion. Besides, undigested foods form an excellent source of nutrition for bacteria inhabiting colon causing problems. All these symptoms can, in turn, take their toll on the overall health of a person.
There can be a profound psychological impact of missing teeth on an individual. One may have to avoid foods that used to be his/her favorites. This leads to depression and frustration and the person starts experiencing a reduced quality of life. Harder-to-eat foods like nuts, some type of meats and tough fruits are the ones that are mostly avoided. When one avoids such healthy foods, nutrition can be adversely affected.
Missing teeth should never be dealt with lightly. Dental implants are one of the best solutions for teeth replacement. They look and function like natural teeth. An important fact about dental implants is that they act as an independent unit. They do not derive support from neighboring natural teeth. You can chew almost anything and relish all your favorites without hesitation. They are the type of tooth replacements with highest chewing efficiency especially compared to removable dentures. Dental implants will help you eat healthy and stay healthy!
Why should you suffer due to missing teeth? Just call Advanced Dental Care at (217) 546-3333 for an appointment with Dr. VanderMolen and get your missing teeth replaced with dental implants! For more information, consider attending one of our Free Dental Implant Seminars!
Make Your Trip to the Family Dentist Easier by Booking Same Day
February 5, 2013
Save Time and Improve Your Family’s Oral Health
Making a trip to the dentist usually requires some reshuffling of your typical daily schedule – which can feel a bit burdensome throughout the year if you need to make separate appointments for your family as well. Because this re-scheduling can be more disruptive than what you’d expect, especially if you and your family run on a busy or tight schedule, an accommodating family dentistry office may be what you’re looking for.
A family dentist not only provides an array of preventative dentistry services, but they do so for individuals throughout the lifespan. No matter how old or young a patient is, a family dentist is trained to cater to any age group’s specific needs. Seeing Dr. VanderMolen as your family dentist also adds to your all-around dental experience because he will gain familiarity with your entire family and may be better able to address dental issues that are prevalent within your family group.
Essentially, by choosing a family dentistry practice you’ll be creating a more streamlined, dental experience for you and your family. Gone will be the days where you have to schedule multiple appointments at different dental offices around town and throughout the year. With Advanced Dental Care you can now book all of your preventative dentistry visits to take place on the very same day making it one easy trip for everyone.
Your scheduling needs matter to us here at Advanced Dental Care and we will work with you to find a day and time for your entire family to come in. To simplify your family dentistry visits just call us at (217) 546-3333 and set up your appointments today.